Synchronized motor clock movement



Oct. 19, 1943. 1.. B. STONE ,3 8

SYNCHRONIZED MOTOR CLOCK MOVEMENT Original Filed 001:. 3, 1959 70 AEMA rue: L 1 3 FULL houe POSITION/N6 93 INVENTOR.

lac/EN 5. STONE.

HIS ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 19, 1943 SYNCHRONIZED MOTOR CLOCK MOVEMENT Lucien B. Stone, South Orange, N. J assignor to Self Winding Clock Company, Inc., Brooklyn,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application October 3, 1939, Serial No. 297,649, now Patent No. 2,274,221, dated February 24, 1942.

Divided and this application November 1, 1940, Serial No. 363,818

Claims.

My invention relates to synchronized motor clock movements and has the purpose of synchroni'zing the: clock' movement by the motor power, as soon as the distinct synchronizing impulse is received in the conventional manner. It is an object of the invention to efiect the synchronization by the direct action of th motor power. I e

The present application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 297,649, filed October 3, 1939, now Patent No. 2,274,221, granted February 24, 1942.

The invention will be described in detail by reference to the accompanying drawing, showing one illustrative form.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a clock movement having a synchronizing arrangement in accordance with the invention;

Figs. 1a and 1b are fragmentary views showing a part of the mechanism of Fig. 1 in two left hand portion of Fig. 1.

M represents the motor which drives, through its shaft 94 and pinion 95, a central arbor 93, through a gear 96-fixed thereon, so that this arbor performs one revolution per minute. The arbor is journalled in the front plate 9| and the rear plate 92 of the clock movement, to the latter plate of which the motorM is attached. On its forward portion, central arbor 93 carries the seconds and minute sleeves I00 and I01 respectively. The hour drive is shown in Fig. 1, comprising a. pinion I08 fixed on the minute arbor I01, from which the hour hand is driven in the conventional manner a through the reduction gear I08a, I08b, I000 and hour sleeve NM. The seconds sleeve extends up to gear 96 and carries adjacent to this gear a hub 91 splined on the seconds sleeve. On this hub are fixed a disc 98 adjacent to gear. 99 and a spur gear IOI at the other end of the hub. Disc 98 carries near its periphery a coupling pin 99 which engages in a hole provided in gear 90 so that thereby the second arbor becomes coupled with the central arbor 93 and is driven at one revolution per minute during the normal operation of the clock train.

In the two end plates 9I, 92 of theclock movement is further journalled a countershaft I04 which carries a comparatively wide pinion I03 and a pinion I05. Pinion I03 meshes with gear I IOI fixed on the hub 91 so as to drive the countershaft from the said hub, and pinion I05 drives a gear I05 fixed on the minute sleeve through an intermediate reduction gearing comprising an idler I05a meshing with pinion I05 and with an intermediate gear I051) rotatably mounted on a pin I05c. To the hub of gear I05b is fixed a pinion I05d which meshes With the gear I06. The ratio of the gearing is such that the minute sleeve rotates at one revolution per hour.

On drive shaft 94 is further mounted a gear I I3 (partly broken away in Fig. 1) and in mesh with this gear is a pinion II4 located on the seconds sleeve I00 together with a disc I I5 which i provided near its periphery with a hole H6 in which a pin I02 fixed on gear IOI can engage when the latter is. shifted by its splined hub 91 towards disc II5. Pinion H4 and disc II 5 are freely rotatable on seconds sleeve I00. The gear ratio between pinion H4 and gear I I3 is such that if the seconds sleeve is coupled to disc II5 by the aforementioned pin I02, the seconds sleeve is rotated at greatly increased speed over its normal speed of one revolution per minute. Normally, disc 98 is held in engagement by its pin 99 with gear 9'6 of central arbor 93 (which, it should be remembered, is constantly driven at normal speed of 1 R. P. M.) through an arm II2 of a forked lever I09 pivoted at I09a, through engagement of the outer end of arm II2 with hub 91, this outer end being forked in the conventional manner. Lever I09 is normally held in the position shown against a fixed stop III by means of a tension spring IIO. It is connected by means of a link H011 to the armature of an impulse magnet, not shown here but of a conventional character and, for instance, similar to the electromagnet 45 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of my copending application, Serial No. 297,649, new Patent No. 2,274,221. The connection is such that when the electromagnet is energized, the armature pulls lever I09 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1 and thereby shifts arm II2 of the forked lever downwardly in Fig. 1 whereby the pin 99 of disc 98 becomes disengaged from the central arbor drive gear 96, and gear IOI mounted on the hub becomes engaged by'its pin I02 with disc II 5 of the high speed drive. Thus, when the electromagnet is energized, the seconds arbor, and through it the minute arbor and hour drive, is driven at high speed so long as the electromagnet remains energized.

Thus, in case the clock should be slow when the synchronizing impulse arrives, the clock trains are speeded up by the high speed gearing H3, H4. Since, however, usually the synchronizing impulses last only a few seconds, in some cases this wouldnot be sufficient time for the high speed gear to bring the clock train up to its synchronized position. In order, therefore,

to maintain the forked lever I09 in high gear.

position, a bell crank H1 is provided which is pivotally attached at IIS to the rear plate 92v of the clock movement. This bell crank together with the cooperating elements is shownin fragmentary perspective in Fig. 4. Normally, that is to say, when forked lever I09 is in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the clock train running. at normal speed, this bell crank rests with its long end on top of lever I09. As soon, however,

chronized. If the synchronizing impulse is received hourly, the hands may be set by the high speed gear on the full hour. This is accomplished in the folowing manner. On central arbor 93 is loosely mounted. a hub I20 which car-- ries at one end a disc I2I carrying near its periphery a pin I24 at a radialdistance to engage one of the holes providedin the disc of gear I22 which is loosely mounted on arbor 93. This gear is in mesh with a gear I23 of countershaft I8 so that normally gear I22 is driven at the same speed at which the seconds arbor Hi0: rotates. The other end of hub I20. carries a ratchet wheel I25 into which engages the pin i281 of an arm I21 splined through a hub I29 on central arbor 93. Therefore, this huband: arm I21 always rotate at, normal speed of 11R. P. M. Hub I29 is en gaged by the aforementioned arm I30 pivoted at I32 on the rear clock plate 92. The other hub I20, which carries ratchet wheel I25 and disc ml which is loose on arbor 93, is engagedby the other arm II9 of forked lever I09, and therefore this hub with its ratchet Wheel I25and disc I21 moves downwardly in Fig. 1 when the forked lever I09 moves down for the purpose of shifting the clock train into high gear as described. Normally, when the elements are in the position shown in Fig. l, the ratchet wheel I25 engages arm I21 through the pin I28. When the forked lever I09 is shifted downwardly, ratchet wheel I25 becomes disengaged. from pin I28, andcomes into engagement with a spring detent 125, which holds it stationary at the position it had reached when the synchronizingimpulse arrived. The downward movement of hub I is not sufficient to bring pin I24 into engagement with the gear I22. This position of the parts is shown in la. The previously mentioned shiftingarm I3!) is under the influence of a spring I3I which tends to throw it downwardly in Fig. l or forwardly towards the front of the clock, but it is normally prevented from doing so by a latch bar I33 which with its nose I34 (see Fig. 4) normally engages shifting arm I30. Thislatch bar I33 is pivoted at the front plate (II of the clock movement at I34. Thus when forked. lever I09 has been shifted by the synchronizing impulse and is held locked in shifted position by bell crank I I1, shifting arm I30, though under the influence of spring I3I, cannot follow and thus the rotating arm I21 is held in the axial position on central arbor 93 shown in Fig. 1, while the ratchet wheel I is disengaged from it.

(On the minute arbor is fixed a cam I35 which is shown in face view in Fig. 3. The cam is set ch minute arbor I01 so that its nose I is in the'position shown in Fig. 3 when the clock hands have the full hour position.

The aforementioned latch bar I33 is provided with. a lateral. detent I38 the outer end of which is locatedin the path of the cam nose I so that every time the cam nose passes latch detent I30, latch I33 is lifted and thereby lifts nose I34 from shifting arm I30 (Fig. 4). When latch bar I33 is lifted, spring I3I is free to exert its influence on arm I30 and throw the latter, together with hub I29 andarm I21, forwardly on central-arbor E33. Normally. that is to say, with the elements in the position shown in Fig. 1, this. cannot occur in spite of. latch bar I33 being lifted, because forked lever I09 holds ratchet wheel I25 against rotating arm I21 and thus prevents the hub from being shifted. If, however, forked lever I00 has shifted the clock train into high speed as described before, ratchet wheel I25 has moved away fromarm, I21 and thus rotating arm I21 can be. shifted forward-as soonas latch bar, I33 is lifted.

The device'operates as follows: Let us assume that at the arrival of a synchronizing impulse at the full hour, the minute arbor should beten minutes slow. This would bring the nose I36-of cam I35. into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. At the arrival of the impulse, as was described, fork I00 shifts the clock train into high speed and lever I09 becomes locked in shifted position by bell crank II1 andnow the clock train ismoved at high speedtoward the full hour position. This shifting of fork lever I09 has simultaneously also disengaged ratchet wheel I25 from normally rotating arm. I21, and engaged it. with spring detent I26. The hole in wheel I25 withdrawn from pin I28 thus retains a fixed position; frdm the moment the. synchronizing impulsewas-recelved. As soon as the clock hands have arrived at the fullhour position, the nose I36 of cam I35 has arrived in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3. This nose now lifts detent I38- and thus lifts bar I33 off arm I30 (Fig. 4) and thereby releases this arm. The latter can now follow the'force of its spring I31 and thereby shifts arm I21- on central arbor. 93 toward ratchet wheel I25. Thus, pin I28 of arm. I211: strikes the face of ratchet wheel I25 thrusting the latter and disk I forward until pin I20 strikes the face of gear I22 (see: Fig. 1b). This gearis rotating. at the. higher speed and the pin I24 soon drops into one of the holes init. The disk HI and wheel I25. now rotate at the some higher rate as the minute arbor and the hole in wheel I25 starts to gain on the pin I23. When the holereaches the-pin the; pin drops into it. This; has the effect of permitting arm I30 under. the influence of its'spring I3-I to shift still further down and thereby engage'screw I35 of bell crank II1 so that the latter. is lifted off forked lever I03; permitting. thelatter under the influence of its spring III) to shift back into its normal position shown in Fig. 1, and to thereby throwin clocktrainfromhighgear back into lowgear (by disengaging pin I02. from high speed I when pin disc I I and re-engaging pin 99 with normal speed gear 96). As a consequence of this motion of forked'leve'r I09, hub Itogether with disc I2I and ratchet wheel I are also thrown backinto their normal positions shown in Fig. 1, and thus arm I21, now in engagement with ratchet wheel I25, is shifted also backiinto its normal position against the tension of spring I3I. This releases the bell crank II1 from the control: of arm I30,

and this bell crank now can drop back on top of lever I09, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, on which the bell crank normally rests. There is thus a sequence of four functions following the moment the nose I36 of cam I35 arrives at the full'hour position. First, latch 'bar- I33 is lifted, which allows normallyrotating arm I21 to drop onto the ratchet wheel I25, pushing the latter free of the detent I26 and the pin I24 against the gear I22. Second, the pin I24 finds a hole in disk I22 and the disk I2I and ratchet wheel I25 take up the higher speed of the disk I22. Third, the ratchet wheel hole meets pin I28 and the pin drops in and permits arm I21 to shift further and to free fork I09 to permit the shifting from highto low speed. Fourth, arm I30 is shifted back to normal position by the fork I09, which permits latch bar I33 to drop back into normal position, shown in Fig. 4, in which arm I30 is locked. The provision of rotating arm I21 is made for the following reasons: If we take the example, for instance; of the clock being ten minuteslate, it takes the high speed gear an appreciabletime to move the clock train to the full hour position; let us say, it would take ten seconds. turned from high speed to low speed at the time the nose I38 of cam I35 arrived in the full hour position, the clock hands, having then also arrived at the full hour position, would still be ten seconds slow,- because central arbor 93 has in the meantime moved the distance of ten seconds ahead. If, however, as described before, the arm I21 rotating with central arbor 93 controls at the last instance the shifting of the clock train from high speed to low speed, it can, with the arrangement of elements described, occur only I28 of arm I21 meets the hole in ratchet wheel I25. In other words, while arm I21 has moved ten seconds ahead during the synchronizing operation, ratchet wheel I25 must follow arm I21 at high speed until it catches this arm, namely at the moment when the hole in ratchet wheel I25 registers with pin I28 of arm I21. Thus the clock hands are in-reality moved in this arrangement at high speed further than the full hour position in order to make up for the time lost during the synchronizing operation, the arm I21 and the hole in wheel I25 serving to measure the resetting time during which the clock train is operated at high speed to synchronize the hands and to determine the moment at which the high speed drive is to be terminated.

In order to avoid unnecessary shifting from normal speed to high speed in case the clock should be exactly on time when the synchronizing impulse arrives, an electric contact I31 is provided, as shown in Fig. 3, by which the electromagnet, such as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of my aforesaid copending application, is shortcircuited. This contact is closed through the lifting of latch bar I31 by nose I36 every time it arrives at the full hour position. Thus at the arrival of the impulse, the electromagnet cannot be energized if the clock is on time and all syn- Therefore, if the clock train were rechronizing elements remain in their normal positions shown in Fig. 1.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism for synchronizing motor driven clocks directly by the power of the driving motor, a normal speed gearing continuous! driven by the motor, a high speed gearing continuously driven by the motor, a clock train, a clock train coupling permanently geared to said clock train and having a limited shifting movement between two positions, said clock train coupling having means to establish driving connection with said normal speed gearing and with said high speed gearing, respectively, in said two positions, means continuously urging said clock train coupling toward the position in which it has driving connection with said normal speed gearing, actuating means to shift said clock train coupling to the position in which it has driving connection with said high speed gearing, means to lock said clock train coupling in said latter position, and means set in operation by said clock train on reaching a certain position to release said locking means.

2. In a mechanism for synchronizing motor driven clocks directly by the power of the driving motor, a normal speed gearing continuously driven by the motor, a high speed gearing con tinuously driven by the motor, a clock train, a clock train coupling permanently geared to said clock train and having a limited shifting movement between two positions, said clock train coupling having means to establish driving connection with said normal speed gearing and with said high speed gearing, respectively, in said two positions; a reset timing means comprising a rotary timing member permanently geared to said normal speed gearing and a rotary control member coaxial with said timing member, said timing and control members having disengageable reset coupling means adapted to couple them together in only a single angular relation; actuating means adapted simultaneously to shift said clock train coupling from said first position to said second position and to disengage said reset coupling means, means for holding said rotary control member stationary as said timing member continues to rotate after the disengagement of said reset coupling means; means operated by said clock train on reaching a certain position for establishing a driving connection between said high speed gearing and said rotary control member and for simultaneously adjusting said reset timing means to a position for automatic reengagement of said reset coupling means when said rotary control member assumes said single angular relation to said timing member, and means set in operation upon reengagement of the reset coupling means to restore said clock train coupling to said first position.

3. In a mechanism for synchronizing motor driven clocks directly by the power of the driving motor, a normal speed gearing continuously driven by the motor, a high speed gearing continuously driven by the motor, a clock train, a clock train coupling permanently geared to said clock train and having a limited shifting movement between two positions, said clock train cou pling having means to establish driving connection with said normal speed gearing and with said high speed gearing, respectively, in said two positions, means continuously urging said clock train coupling toward the position in which it has driving connection with said normal speed gearing, actuating means to shiftssaid clock train coupling to the position in which it; has driving.

connection with said high speed gearing, means to lock said clock train couplingin said latter position, means set in operation by said clock train on reaching a certain position to,v release said locking means, and means adapted to be operated by said clock train in said certain position to disable said actuating means.

4. In a clock synchronizing mechanism, 'a clock train, a normal speed drive therefor, ,a high speed drive for resetting said clock train, means to measure the resetting time during which said clock train is operated by saidv high speed drive, and means controlled by said resetting time measuring meansto terminate the drive of said clock train by said high speed drive.

5. In a clock synchronizing mechanism, the combination. with a clock train, a normal speed driving gear, a highspeed driving gear, and coupling means shifitable from normal position in which it couples. said normal speed gear to said clock train to high speed position in which it couples said high speed gear to said clock train; of reset timing means, means for setting the latter in operation simultaneously with the shift of said coupling means to high speed position, and means controlled, by said reset timing means to restore said coupling means to normal position at the instant the travel of said clock train past a predetermined synchronizing position equals the total. elapsed timesince the shift of said coupling means to high speed position.

LUCIEN B. STONE. 

